The present invention relates to a key input device and an information terminal device which perform key assignment by use of information memory medium such as an IC card and the like, and particularly to a device provided with a tablet.
As a key input device provided with a tablet, various devices have been already known. In the conventional devices, key layout of a key input portion of the tablet was determined according to each device, and function of each key was fixed. Accordingly, the device having the different key layout according to the various uses was required.
On the other hand, an electronic equipment which can add and change function by mounting a memory card therein has been disclosed in JP-A-5-189624. Herein, a mark which is different in position according to a kind of a card is formed on the surface of the memory card, and when the memory card is inserted into a body, a portion of the mark seen through the transparent tablet is pushed thereby to identify the kind of the card. Then, a program or data corresponding to the card is read out from a ROM and the program is executed.
In the above equipment, though addition and change of the function can be performed by executing the program corresponding to each card, change of key layout and assignment of key are not referred to, so that this equipment cannot correspond to the different key layout according to the use.
Therefore, a main object of the invention is to use the key input device privately for the card mounted therein and to correspond to various key layouts by one device.
Another object of the invention is to provide the key input device which goes off with small memory capacity of the memory located on the device side.
Another object of the invention is to provide the key input device which goes off with small memory capacity of the memory located on the card side.
Another object of the invention is to provide the information terminal device which can be connected to the Internet and utilized in the various uses by combining the above key input device, the transmit-receive portion and the display portion.
Another object of the invention is to easily display the home page of the Internet corresponding to each card in the above information terminal device.
Another object of the invention is to quickly and readily perform the operation such as selection of items in the displayed home page.
Further, another object of the invention is to select the key layout of the standard key board and other key layouts in the above information terminal device to enlarge the utilization range of the terminal device.
A tablet type key input device according to the invention comprises an insertion inlet into which information memory medium having a plurality of marks displayed on its surface is inserted; a transparent tablet in which the marks of the information memory medium inserted into the insertion inlet are represented as a key operational portion; a reading portion for reading information recorded in the information memory medium; and a control portion for assigning the respective marks represented on the tablet to specific keys according to the information read by the reading portion.
The information memory medium is, for example, an IC card, on the surface of which marks such characters, signs, figures and the like are displayed by printing or the like. When this IC card is inserted into the key input device, the marks are represented through the transparent tablet. The marks represented in the tablet become the key operational portion as it is. By pushing each key portion in the tablet, the corresponding key is operated. In this case, the key operational portion is different according to the mounted IC card, and the control portion assigns the key function correspondingly to the respective cards. Therefore, the key input device is privately used for each card, and it is possible to realize the key input device capable of corresponding to the various uses with one device by changing the card.
The program for assigning the keys is stored in, for example, a memory of the IC card, and the assignment of the keys is performed in each card in accordance with this program.
Since the IC card stores therein the memory of which capacity is much larger than memory capacity of a magnetic card, it can store the program for assigning the keys in this memory, whereby the memory of the large capacity is not required on the key input device side.
On the other hand, in case that there is liberal memory capacity on the device side, the above program can be stored in the memory on the device side in such a manner that it corresponds to each card. In this case, a specific identification code is stored in the card, this identification code is read on the device side, and a program corresponding to the identification code is read out from the memory to perform the assignment of the key operational portions. Hereby, it is not necessary to store the program in the card. Therefore, the magnetic card having the small memory capacity can be used as the information memory medium.
Next, a tablet type information terminal device according to the invention comprises an insertion inlet into which information memory medium having a plurality of marks displayed on its surface is inserted; a transparent tablet in which the marks of the information memory medium inserted into the insertion inlet are represented as a key operational portion; a reading portion for reading information recorded in the information memory medium; a control portion for assigning the respective marks represented on the tablet to specific keys according to the information read by the reading portion; a transmit-receive portion for transmitting a signal corresponding to the key according to the operation of the assigned key and receiving the predetermined information from an external portion; and a display portion for displaying the received information.
Since this information terminal device is provided with transmit-receive portion and the display portion, it can be connected to Internet and it is possible to read a home page. In the displayed home page, the various operations can be performed by use of the key operational portion of the tablet. For example, in a home page of a securities company, reference in stocks, dealings in stocks, and the like can be performed.
In the above case, a specific URL address is stored in each card. After this URL address is read, the device is connected to Internet, whereby a home page corresponding to the card can be displayed easily. Further, it is preferable that layout of the keys represented in the tablet is the same as that of the keys displayed on the home page. Hereby, in case that the user desires to select a key represented on the home page, he only operates the same key as its key on the tablet of the information terminal device. Therefore, selection of items on the home page can be performed very easily and without an error. Further, since it is not necessary to perform the selection by moving a cursor on a screen, the operation can be performed quickly.
In case that a card on which key layout of a standard key board is displayed is used and the keys represented in the tablet are assigned to keys of the standard key board, the information terminal device can be used as a usual personal computer, so that the utilization range of the device is enlarged more.